Jeremy Corbyn accused Theresa May of presiding over “a low-pay epidemic” in the UK as he used a noisy and boisterous prime minister’s questions to challenge her repeatedly over the continued cap on public sector pay.

Marks & Spencer has been criticised for cutting the pay of approximately 10% of its shop-floor workers by removing premiums for working Sundays and antisocial hours and trimming back bank holiday payments.

As thousands of low-wage workers plan to protest at McDonald’s annual shareholder meeting in Chicago on Thursday the company’s former US boss has warned them: if the minimum wage goes up, McDonald’s is likely to replace them with robots.

Sports Direct has bowed to criticism of its working conditions by pledging £10m towards a staff pay rise, but Britain’s largest trade union dismissed the response to Guardian revelations over controversial employment practices at the retailer as a “PR stunt”.

Jeremy Corbyn accused Theresa May of presiding over “a low-pay epidemic” in the UK as he used a noisy and boisterous prime minister’s questions to challenge her repeatedly over the continued cap on public sector pay.